Packing cartridges for transportation and distribution



(No Model.) 9 2 SheetsSheet L T. G. ORNDORFP.

PACKING CARTRIDGES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION. No. 399,923. Patented Mar. 19,. 1889.

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(NO Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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PAOKINO CARTRIDGES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION. NO. 399,923. Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. ORNDORFF, OF TVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

PACKING CARTRIDGES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,923, dated March 19, 1889.- I Application filed December 19, 1888- Serial No. 294,045. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. ORNDORFF, of TVorcester, in the county of \Vorcestcr, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Packing Oartridges for Transportation and Distribution, of which the following is a specification,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the covered box or receptacle. Fig. 2 is a plan of the box or receptacle (with the cover removed) packed with cartridges in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 23 is a side elevation of the same with the side of the box removed. Fig. at is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through one of the box-fastenings.

The object I have in view is to pack cartridges in such manner as to insure them absolutely from contact with one another, and at the same time to have them always in such condition that they will be ready for instant use on the field and will require for that purpose no individual handling. For this purpose the plan which I have devised is as follows: In the first place I provide strips, bands, or belts of fabric of a length to readily pass around the waist-or over the shoulders, these bands or belts being provided with pockets closed at one end for the reception of individual cartridges, whereby each cartridge on the band is isolated from the others. Such a band is shown at A with pockets B closed at one end, a, and containing cartridges (I. The fabric may be made and provided with pockets in any suitable way. I I prefer for this purpose a multiply fabric provided with cartridge-pockets integral therewith formed. by the plies and closed along one edge of the fabric, as described in another application in my name for Letters Patent of even date herewith. I also prefer to provide the ends of the band with suitable fastenings, so that the band can be secured conveniently around the waist or shoulders. The particular fastener, D, shown in the drawings is, as I understand, the invention of Anson Mills, of the United States Army. The belts or hands,

after having been filled with cartridges, are

then packed in a suitable box or receptacle, substantially in the manner indicated in the drawingsthat is to say, in such manner that the necessarily-exposed heads of the cartridges in one band shall be opposite to the closed ends of the pockets of the band contiguous thereto,whether said last-named bands be in the same pile or series or in adjoining piles or series, and also in such manner that the cartridges in any one band shall be opposite the intervals between the cartridges of the next adjoining band of the same pile or series.

In the drawings the manner in which the belts are or bands may be thus packed is clearly illustrated. The box E is of a length to receive a belt or band folded in the middle and of a width to receive the four piles or rows of such bands.

In packing the belts the half of the lowermost belt in one pile is laid on the bottom of the box. The half of the second belt is then laid upon the first, with the heads of the cartridges in the one opposite to the closed ends of the pockets of the other. The other half of the first belt is then folded over upon the first half of the second belt, and so on, all as indicated in the drawings. The different piles or rows are so arranged that the heads of the cartridges in one pile will come opposite to the closed end of the pockets of the band on the next adjoining pile or piles. In this way all contact of metal with metal is avoided and the cartridges can be transported with entire safety and without Wear or deterioration. At the same time the cartridges are in condition for instant use in the field, and require for this purpose no individual handling, such as takes place when the soldier replenishcs his cartridge box or belt from ammunition-boxes containing cartridges packed in the usual way; and, as a matter of fact, the cartridges packed in accordance with my method occupy considerably less cubic space than is the case with any other method now in use. All that is needed is to take one of the bands from the box and to sling it over the shoulders or to secure it around the Waist. The box itself, in order to secure its ready opening, has its cover secured by headless screws or bolts 1), which are made fast to the body of the box and extend up through holes in the cover into metal-lined countersinks ctherein. The ends of the screws or bolts are screw threaded at their outer end and receive wing-nuts d, which secure the cover in place. These nuts are received in the countersinks 0, so as to be below the top of the box, and they can there be readily got at and manipulated. 4

An ammunition-box having the cover secured by fastening devices of the particular construction just described is not here claimed by me, but is reserved for a separate application for Letters Patent.

I am aware that leather belts have been provided upon one face with added leather strips fashioned into the shape of cartridgepockets, in some instances closed at one end and there have been along the opposite edge of the belt flaps for covering the exposed heads of the cartridges. Such a belt would be useless for the purposes I have in View, and would not be my invention. hat I have devised and desire to secure by Letters Patent is a method of packing artridges for transportation which has never before been employed in any country, so far as I am aware, and which possesses what I believe to be marked advantages over any other method heretofore in use, in that there is no possibility of the shaking up or disturbing of the ammunition; there is and can be no contact of metal with metal, thus preventing damage and Wear of the bullet ends and heads of the cartridges; the Waste of ammunition consequent upon the transfer of cartridges from their ordinary packing-cases to the pockets or cartridge-box of the soldier is avoided, and the ammunition itself is always in condition to be immediately available in action without handling.

What, therefore, I claim as new and of my own invention is The herein-described method of packing cartridges for transportation and distribution, consisting in first storing the cartridges in belts or bands provided with pockets closed at one end, each cartridge being placed in its own pocket, so as to be isolated from others on the same band, and then packing said bands in a suitable box or receptacle, with the heads of the cartridges in one band opposite the closed ends of the pockets in the next adjoining band or bands, whether in the same row or pile or in contiguous rows or piles,

substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of December, 1888.

THOMAS C. ORNDORFF.

Witnesses:

A. S. PINKERTON, CHARLES J. OHARA. 

